Campaign Power Level
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Campaign Power Levels
Setting your campaign power level is a subtle decision, that will have large impacts on play at lower levels and noticeable impacts even at upper levels.
Better stats for player characters are basically like campaign-wide permanent buffs. The very low stat point settings, such as the Low Fantasy game, tends to punish classes that benefit from lots of different good stats, while rewarding classes that rely mainly on a single stat.
For example, Fighters want a good to excellent Str, Dex, Con and Wis. Wizards, on the other hand, want a superb Int and a little Dex.
To reflect the fact that there are two different tribes of classes, we have pre-built two classes of 'example' stats below.
The 'Balanced' stat array has some good stats and some dump stats, but the buy points are 'spread around' to get as much good stuff as possible.
The 'Specialist' stat array goes for the highest high stats, and dumps everything else.
As a point of order, we have carefully chosen and analyzed all of these power levels! 43 points for ManaPunk is not just a random number, and was chosen as a good balance point between high and low stats.
Even the 'scary good' Industrial Magic power level still has very definite dump stats, although the other goodies more than make up for it!
The 'balanced' and 'specialist' stat arrays were included as examples, and for referees who wish, they may be given to players to use for their characters. This lets players skip the 'choosing stats' step of character creation, and assures that nobody is going to make any 'whoops' mistakes.
Low Fantasy
10 Stat points.
The world is new, magic is rare, life is brutish, nasty, and short.
Players may buy one stat below 10 and adjust one stat below 10 with racial modifiers.
Players may not buy a stat above 18, but may modify a stat above 18 with a racial modifier.
No Player Character stat may go below a 7 or above a 20 at campaign start.
Balanced Array: 14,14,13,11,10,7
- Racial adjustments typically reach: 16,16,13,11,8,7
Specialist Array: 16,12,12,10,10,7
- Racial adjustments typically reach: 18,14,12,10,8,7
- Array analysis
- Balanced Array with racial mods has a max bonus of +3, total bonus of +7, max penalty of -2, total penalty of -3, and a Net Strength of +4
- Specialist Array with racial mods has a max bonus of +4, total bonus of +7, max penalty of -2, total penalty of -3, and a Net Strength of +4
- SPECIAL NOTE: With no odd numbers in any positive stats, the Specialist Array will not benefit from improved stats until level eight.
Standard Fantasy
15 Stat points.
Heroes are rare, adventures are grim affairs, magic is common but usually small in effect and has...downsides.
Players may buy one stat below 10 and adjust one stat below 10 with racial modifiers.
Players may not buy a stat above 18, but may modify a stat above 18 with a racial modifier.
No Player Character stat may go below a 7 or above a 20 at campaign start.
Balanced Array: 15,14,14,12,10,7
- Racial adjustments typically reach: 17,16,14,12,8,7
Specialist Array: 18,12,10,10,10,7
- Racial adjustments typically reach: 20,14,10,10,8,7
- Array analysis
- Balanced Array with racial mods has a max bonus of +3, total bonus of +9, max penalty of -2, total penalty of -3, and a Net Strength of +6
- Specialist Array with racial mods has a max bonus of +5, total bonus of +7, max penalty of -2, total penalty of -3, and a Net Strength of +4
- SPECIAL NOTE: With no odd numbers in any positive stats, the Specialist Array will not benefit from improved stats until level eight.
High Fantasy
20 stat points.
Heroes are not rare, adventures and the world are techni-colored and vibrant. Magic is common and powerful, wizards and monsters stride the earth like titans. .
Players may buy one stat below 10 and adjust one stat below 10 with racial modifiers.
Players may not buy a stat above 18, but may modify a stat above 18 with a racial modifier.
No Player Character stat may go below a 7 or above a 20 at campaign start.
Balanced Array: 16,15,14,12,10,7
- Racial adjustments typically reach: 18,17,14,12,8,7
Specialist Array: 18,15,10,10,10,7
- Racial adjustments typically reach: 20,17,10,10,8,7
- Array analysis
- Balanced Array with racial mods has a max bonus of +4, total bonus of +10, max penalty of -2, total penalty of -3, and a Net Strength of +7
- Specialist Array with racial mods has a max bonus of +5, total bonus of +8, max penalty of -2, total penalty of -3, and a Net Strength of +5
Epic Fantasy
28 Stat points. The assumed 'default' level for Epic Path. Choosing lower or higher levels WILL impact your play experience!
Heroes are common, magic is everywhere, epic battles happen most summers, adventures spill into other planes, the world bursts with awesome.
Players may buy one stat below 10 and adjust one stat below 10 with racial modifiers.
Players may not buy a stat above 18, but may modify a stat above 18 with a racial modifier.
No Player Character stat may go below a 7 or above a 20 at campaign start.
Balanced Array: 16,16,15,14,10,7
- Racial adjustments typically reach: 18,18,15,14,8,7
Specialist Array: 18,17,12,10,10,7
- Racial adjustments typically reach: 20,19,12,10,8,7
- Array analysis
- Balanced Array with racial mods has a max bonus of +4, total bonus of +12, max penalty of -2, total penalty of -3, and a Net Strength of +9
- Specialist Array with racial mods has a max bonus of +5, total bonus of +10, max penalty of -2, total penalty of -3, and a Net Strength of +7
Magical Adventure
35 stat points.
Magic becomes as commonplace as electricity. Surprisingly less extravagant because it's so common, but when the fighting begins, watch out.
Players may buy one stat below 10 and adjust one stat below 10 with racial modifiers.
Players may not buy a stat above 18, but may modify a stat above 18 with a racial modifier.
No Player Character stat may go below a 7 or above a 20 at campaign start.
Balanced Array: 17,17,16,13,10,7
- Racial adjustments typically reach: 19,19,16,13,8,7
Specialist Array: 18,18,14,10,10,7
- Racial adjustments typically reach: 20,20,14,10,8,7
- Array analysis
- Balanced Array with racial mods has a max bonus of +4, total bonus of +12, max penalty of -2, total penalty of -3, and a Net Strength of +9
- Specialist Array with racial mods has a max bonus of +5, total bonus of +12, max penalty of -2, total penalty of -3, and a Net Strength of +9
- SPECIAL NOTE: With no odd numbers in any positive stats, the Specialist Array will not benefit from improved stats until level eight.
ManaPunk
43 stat points.
Like steam punk/victorian age/gaslight adventures, only with magic. Magic isn't just as common as electricity, it's as common as electricity and better at everything.
Players may buy one stat below 10 and adjust one stat below 10 with racial modifiers.
Players may not buy a stat above 18, but may modify a stat above 18 with a racial modifier.
No Player Character stat may go below a 7 or above a 20 at campaign start.
Balanced Array: 17,17,16,15,10,10
- Racial adjustments typically reach: 19,19,16,15,10,8
Specialist Array: 18,18,16,11,10,8
- Racial adjustments typically reach: 20,20,16,11,8,8
- Array analysis
- Balanced Array with racial mods has a max bonus of +4, total bonus of +13, max penalty of -1, total penalty of -1, and a Net Strength of +12
- Specialist Array with racial mods has a max bonus of +5, total bonus of +14, max penalty of -1, total penalty of -2, and a Net Strength of +12
- SPECIAL NOTE: With no odd numbers in any positive stats, the Specialist Array will not benefit from improved stats until level eight.
Industrial Magic
51 stat points.
Like Star Wars. With magic. Flying ships are the norm, teleporters in houses, miraculous healing is readily available, weaponry is fearsome, there is little want.
Players may buy one stat below 10 and adjust one stat below 10 with racial modifiers.
Players may not buy a stat above 18, but may modify a stat above 18 with a racial modifier.
No Player Character stat may go below a 7 or above a 20 at campaign start.
Balanced Array: 18,18,16,14,12,10
- Racial adjustments typically reach: 20,20,16,14,12,8
Specialist Array: 18,18,18,12,10,8
- Racial adjustments typically reach: 20,20,18,12,8,8
- Array analysis
- Balanced Array with racial mods has a max bonus of +5, total bonus of +16, max penalty of -1, total penalty of -1, and a Net Strength of +15
- Specialist Array with racial mods has a max bonus of +5, total bonus of +15, max penalty of -1, total penalty of -2, and a Net Strength of +13
- SPECIAL NOTE: With no odd numbers in any positive stats, neither of these arrays benefit from improved stats until level eight.